Exchange striction induced giant ferroelectric polarization in copper based multiferroic material $\alpha$-Cu${}_2$V${}_2$O${}_7$

Abstract

We report $\alpha$-Cu${}_2$V${}_2$O${}_7$ to be an improper multiferroic with the simultaneous development of electric polarization and magnetization below $T_C$ = 35 K. The observed spontaneous polarization of magnitude 0.55 $\mu$Ccm${}^{-2}$ is highest among the copper based improper multiferroic materials. Our study demonstrates sizable amount of magneto-electric coupling below $T_C$ even with a low magnetic field. The theoretical calculations based on density functional theory (DFT) indicate magnetism in $\alpha$-Cu${}_2$V${}_2$O${}_7$ is a consequence of {\em ferro-orbital} ordering driven by polar lattice distortion due to the unique pyramidal (CuO${}_5$) environment of Cu. The spin orbit coupling (SOC) further stabilize orbital ordering and is crucial for magnetism. The calculations indicate that the origin of the giant ferroelectric polarization is primarily due to the symmetric exchange-striction mechanism and is corroborated by temperature dependent X-ray studies.

References in corpus (5)

• Spin current and magneto-electric effect in non-collinear magnets
• Role of the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction in multiferroic perovskites
• Magnetically driven ferroelectric order in Ni${}_3$V${}_2$O${}_8$
• Giant Ferroelectric Polarization of CaMn7O12 Induced by a Combined Effect of Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya Interaction and Exchange Striction
• beta-Cu2V2O7: a spin-1/2 honeycomb lattice system

Cited by in corpus (4)

• Ferroelectric order associated with an ordered occupancy at the octahedral site of the inverse spinel structure of multiferroic NiFe2O4
• Spin Seebeck effect in a polar antiferromagnet $\alpha$-Cu${}_2$V${}_2$O${}_7$
• Magnetoelectric Behavior from $S=1/2$ Asymmetric Square Cupolas
• Spin wave excitations in the pyrovanadate alpha-Cu2V2O7